


The Sound of your Voice

by Zekroudon



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien deserves all the love, Bad Parent Gabriel Agreste, Deaf Adrien AU, Denial of Feelings, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Hot Mess Adrien Agreste, Hot Mess Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Identity Reveal, Maybe a tiny bit of angst, POV Alternating, friendships
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-28
Updated: 2020-05-05
Packaged: 2021-02-27 23:34:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22934140
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zekroudon/pseuds/Zekroudon
Summary: An accident left Adrien unable to hear when he was around 6-7 years old. Though they have a rocky start, Marinette and Adrien form a great friendship. Ladybug and Chat Noir protect Paris from Hawkmoth's akumas. Adrien isn't in love with Marinette and she isn't in love with Chat Noir, their kwamis are just crazy... or are they? Love square reversal.A lot of events happen similarly to canon, mostly the akumas, so I'll work more on the events that happen differently. Level of violence will be the same as on the show.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Nino Lahiffe, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Alya Césaire & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Alya Césaire/Nino Lahiffe
Comments: 11
Kudos: 38





	1. New Year, New Beginnings

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry if there are some mistakes, it was not beta read.

** ADRIEN POV : **

"No."

Again. Rejection as usual. I don’t even need Monique or Nathalie to know his answer. He doesn’t even bother to look up from his tablet. His rigid cold posture always the same, whether he’s disappointed in me or not, though I can barely remember when he wasn’t.

I really want to go to school, to make friends and see other teens my age other than models at photoshoots. Yet, I have to be locked up in this stupid mansion, in my gigantic bedroom filled with tons of expensive stuff. Sadly, you can’t by a friend, a real one. He never allowed me to have a pet, even a fish, not even a potted plant.

I bow a little before moving towards the exit. I may as well have forgotten how to speak; I’d be even more flawed in his eyes. Sometimes, I feel like he thinks the accident was my fault, that I wanted to be deaf. I wouldn’t be surprised if he thought that it was also my fault Mother disappeared.

Mom loved me. She was there after the accident and helped me learn sign language and how to read on the lips. Back then, Father was already somewhat cold and distant, but it only worsened when she disappeared. He doubled down on his work, barely leaving his office and communicated with me through Nathalie, who bothered to learn some sign language, or through Monique, my interpret. Sometimes, it’s even through a tablet with subtitles from a speech to text app that works like garbage. I had to set up my meeting with him for nearly two weeks in advance for this morning. And for what? Be denied almost immediately. I’m used to silence, but with him, it’s like darkness and cold that swallows everything.

Monique enters Father’s office before I can leave. She smiles at me and tells me to go pack my things for school. She must have seen the doubt on my face because she ushers me out towards my bedroom.

Even though he’s technically her boss, she hates him and how he treats me. She’s probably what I got closer to a grandma. She can’t show me affection by hugs or too directly because she would get fired, but with Gorilla, my bodyguard, they’re the only people I feel like genuinely somewhat care about me.

I enter my bedroom and take my tablet, some notebooks, my pencil case, my favorite book, and a manga. I don’t know what regular kids do during breaks between classes, so better be prepared. I’m pretty sure Chloe will hang on me and make me do stuff with her as usual, but I’d like to make new friends. Some guy friends could be nice, they won’t care about fashion and modeling. Maybe we could play sports, videogames or even talk about animes, that would be so awesome!

A hand pokes my shoulder and Monique is there with a bright smile. Somehow, she managed to convince Father to send me to regular school. I’m so excited I’m jumping and shouting a little before hurriedly taking my schoolbag and quickly walking to the car. If I ran, Father would change his mind and make me stay here because I can’t behave properly or some other baseless excuse.

I’m going to school! My first day of school ever, it’s going to be so perfect!

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

** MARINETTE POV: **

New year, new start they say.

I’m pretty skeptical. Chloe will surely continue to bully me and with her new friend that’s supposed to join our class, it won’t be any better. She keeps talking about her so amazing friend on Instagram. If only I could get a friend who wouldn’t cower away as soon as _Miss_ Bourgeois appears.

I get off my bed, put my usual attire on: a dark blouse, a white shirt decorated with pink flowers and pink pants. I tie my hair into pigtails and when my bag’s ready, I go downstairs for breakfast with Mom. I manage to knock the milk box and make a huge mess with my uncurable clumsiness. Mom ushers me away to the bakery after hugging me and wishing me good luck. After saying goodbye to Dad, and him giving me a box of macaroons for the class, I leave for school. It’s only a short walk, but I can’t allow myself to be late for the first day of school.

I’m waiting at an intersection when I spot an old man slowly crossing the road while a car is coming fast. Without even thinking, I run towards him and push him out of harm’s way. We both fall on the ground. Meanwhile, I dropped the box of macarons and the car flattened it. Better them than the old man, though I’m a little disappointed. I hold out my hand to him and he takes it. I pull him up, helping him stand up.

"Thank you, young lady. I didn’t see that car coming. I’m terribly sorry for your macaroons.

\- Oh! It’s nothing, sir. My dad will make others, he’s a baker. I hope you’re not hurt.

\- Thanks to you, I’ll be fine.

\- Phew, I’m glad.

\- I believe you must have been on your way to school?

\- Shoot! I’m sorry, I have to go! Have a nice day!"

I run the rest of the way to François-Dupont and I manage to be a few minutes early, which is a feat in of itself.

I spot a boy with blond hair and some white designer shirt that I don’t recognize, he must be new. He looks like he’s lost so I make my way towards him.

"Hello, are you new here? Can I help you find your class?"

He doesn’t answer and doesn’t even bother to turn towards me. I guess he didn’t hear me or that he’s lost in thoughts, which happens to me a lot, apparently.

"Excuse me, do you need help? What’s your name?"

Still no answer, but he turns the other direction and starts jogging away, completely ignoring me. For a new kid, he’s pretty rude to not bother to even just look at me. I walk away inside the school and I stop at my locker to store some stuff before going up the stairs to class.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

** ADRIEN POV: **

From the corner of my eye, I see an old man fall to the ground. I jog towards him and help him up. I see his lips moving when he tries to say something. I gesture to my ears and shake my head to tell him I can’t hear. He bows and smiles at me before walking away.

I feel Monique’s hand on my shoulder and she guides me towards my class. We go up some stairs and enter a classroom. Chloe is already there with a few others. They all seem to be chatting between themselves while Chloe and Sabrina are crouched next to a bench. I walk up to them to see what they’re doing and to say hello. The blonde sees me and jumps on me, latching to my arm like she always does. She talks to the rest of the class and they all look down abashedly or intimidated. I look down to see Sabrina sticking gum to the person’s seat. When she’s done, she stands up and Chloe and her walk to their seats, their heads high. I know it’s mean to leave gum on a person’s seat and I can’t believe Chloe did that… Okay, maybe I do a little. I crouch down and with my ruler, I try to take it off.

A blue-haired girl with bluebell eyes enters and moves towards the seat, towards me. When she spots the chewing gum, her face morphs into anger and she not so gently push me aside. She tells me some things that I guess aren’t nice, but before Monique or I can explain, the teacher asks us to sit. I go to the seat in front of her next to a guy with a red baseball cap. So much for making new friends. I feel her scowling at the back of my head.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

** MARINETTE POV: **

Miss Bustier asks us to sit and an elderly woman stands next to her. A red-haired girl with glasses is already occupying the spot next to me. She extends her hand.

"Hi, I’m Alya, what’s your name?

\- I’m Marinette, pleased to meet you.

\- You know, you have to do like superheroes, Marinette!

\- Do like superheroes?

\- Yeah! If you do nothing in the face of evil, you let them win. (she gestures to Chloe, Sabrina, and the new guy) You have to stand up to them.

\- Easier said than done…"

Miss Bustier start calling our names one by one. Apparently, the new guy is called Adrien Agreste, though the woman answered instead of him. Are his parents so rich that he has someone do his work at school? When the room call is done, the woman stands up next to her.

"Good morning class, it’s good to see all of you after this summer and I can’t wait to get to know the new ones among us. This year, we’ll have something special. I present you Miss Monique Leblanc, she’s here to help Adrien. Adrien is deaf, so he can’t hear you if you talk to him."

A pang of guilt hits me for all these horrible things I thought about him, but then I remember the gum and most of the guilt fades away. He’s a friend of Chloe after all.

**\-----------------------------------------------------------------**

** ADRIEN POV: **

I was hoping so much that the day would go perfectly, but Chloe already managed to ruin it. I’m sure the blue-haired girl will never want to be my friend. The boy next to me waves his hand in front of me, catching my attention. He slowly signs: "Hi. My name is Nino." Someone else who knows sign language! I quickly start answering him, but I must have been too fast because he looks at me unsure with big eyes before turning to Monique. He talks a bit with her before she starts repeating what he said.

"He says that his uncle is also deaf so he learned a little bit of sign language. He would like to be your friend."

I’d lie if I said I didn’t get teary eyes from learning that he wants to be my friend. A friend! I turn to him and vigorously nod. He smiles and holds out his hand for a handshake. I hold his hand for a few seconds like Father wants me to, but when I let go, Nino does this weird motion with his hand. A secret handshake?! That’s so cool! I try to replicate his moves, but I fail miserably. I see him laugh a little before showing me again, though a bit slower this time. We try again and I already get it better. He frowns a little before turning to Monique again.

"He would like to know why you didn’t tell Marinette that you didn’t put the gum on her seat?

\- I didn’t have time to… Besides, she’s mad at me."

We repeat the same process once again.

"He says that Marinette is a nice girl and that she would understand if you explained to her. He suggests that you could give her a letter if you’re too shy to do it in person. I think you should still give it to her yourself so she knows that it’s genuine."

I smile at both of them. Nino stands and Monique tells me he has to go eat lunch and that she already told him we have to get back home. Once I’m sitting in the car, I take out a sheet of paper and a pen and start brainstorming ideas. How do you get someone to forgive you? I write I’m sorry, but I scratch it and crush the paper in a ball. Why wasn’t I taught how to make friends instead of some language I won’t ever be able to speak? I calm my self before taking out another sheet and starting again. I probably should explain what happened and that Chloe was my only friend and that it was my first day of school.

**\-----------------------------------------------------------------**

** MARINETTE POV: **

It is raining outside and since it was sunny (and that I was nearly late) this morning, I don’t have an umbrella. I stretch my hand and water drenches in seconds. I sigh, so typical of me. Alya already left and I must be one of the last ones in school. I hear footsteps behind me and I see Adrien approaching me with an umbrella and a piece of paper in his hands. He’s looking down and he seems unsure of himself, which is weird for a friend of Chloe, but he’s deaf, so I guess he has a hard time communicating with others. I’m pretty sure Chloe never learned sign language. He stops beside me and holds out the piece of paper.

" Could you read this, please? I explain everything. I know that you are mad at me. I’m sorry… I never went to school before today. I don’t really have friends beside Chloe. "

His voice sounds rough and his pronunciation is a bit off, but I understand that he probably doesn’t speak often. I take the piece of paper from him and nod to let him know I’ll read it. I know I’m not sure why, but I’m not really mad at him anymore. I smile a little and a black car stops in front of the school. I guess he has a driver too, like Chloe.

Though unlike her, he doesn’t look happy about it. His expression is sunken and he seems defeated. He stretches his arm holding the black umbrella and gestures me to take it. I hold my hands in front of me and shake my head. I can’t take his umbrella, he’ll be soaked! He holds it closer to me, insisting that I take it, which I do reluctantly.

My clumsiness never leaves me alone… I haven’t been holding it for a minute that it closes on me, surprising us both.

I look up and he’s laughing.

Eyes closed, a little curled up and laughing out loud. I can’t help myself but laugh a little with him.

Thunders claps in the background, but I barely notice it, same thing for the horn of the car. My cheeks heat up, my heart starts beating faster… What is happening?

Still smiling, he waves me goodbye and walks to his car. I should have at least walked him there, but I’m frozen. How could I have misjudged him so badly? Even if he’s friend with Chloe, he isn’t as bad. He even apologized! The car’s door closing brings me back to reality. I store his letter neatly in my bag before starting to walk home.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

" _Hi,_

_I know that you are mad at me and I’m sorry. I swear I didn’t put the chewing gum on your seat. I was trying to remove it when you walked in, you can ask Nino. Chloe has been my only friend since I was little and today was my first day of school ever. It’s all a bit new to me and I’m sorry that you thought I wanted to be mean to you. Nino told me your name is Marinette._

_I hope that you’ll forgive me, Marinette. Maybe we could even be friends? If you don’t want to, it’s alright, I understand._

_Adrien_

_p.s: Thank you for reading my letter about what happened today. Once again, I’m sorry._ "


	2. Superheroing and rock monsters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette and Adrien get home after their first day of school. They find small boxes on their desk wondering what they are getting themselves into.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long chapter (it's nearly three times the first one), but I didn't want Origins to take up more than two chapters. It took some time to update, but I was busy with getting my finals done (and reading through so much Adrienette April stuff).

** MARINETTE POV: **

I really misjudged him. Adrien is so kind! He didn’t have to apologize to me, yet he did. I feel bad for him that he never went to school before and I was mean to him because of a misunderstanding. I expected him to be a jerk just like Chloe because they are friends, but he was kind, honest, shy, and generous. His laugh is still ringing in my hears, like a melody. My cheeks get warmer just by thinking of him and I’m sure Papa and Maman would be teasing me if they were seeing me. The orange-gold sunlight penetrating through my windows hit the paper. Its golden hues reminding me of his hair. I neatly fold his letter and go to place it on my desk when I spot a small dark brown box with some kind of red asian symbol on top. I carefully take it in my hands.

I don’t remember owning such a box and I don’t think it’s a gift from my parents since I don’t recognize the symbol. I open it, but a bright flash of pink light forces me to look away. In my surprise, I drop the box on the ground and it lands with a soft thud. The ball of light spirals upwards before leaving a weird red floating creature with bright blue eyes.

" Hello Marinette, my name is Tikki! Pleased to meet you!"

It speaks! That thing floats, speaks and knows my name! How? Incoherent screaming escapes my mouth while I back away to grab things to throw at that… thing. Pencils, scissors, balls of yarn, everything my hands catch is thrown at the creature.

"Calm down, Marinette, I’m your friend!"

I throw myself next to the trap door and start calling my parents for help.

"Maman! Papa! There’s a floating bug… rat thing and it speaks!

\- No! They can’t know! Please, listen to me!"

I grab an empty glass and trap the bug inside. Finally feeling somewhat safe, I calm down a little… probably smaller than that thing. My shoulders relax and my breathing evens out somehow.

"Oh, okay, if it can reassure you. I’m Tikki, a Kwami. I grant the powers of good luck and creation. I allow you to become a superhero when you wear the earrings that are in that box. They’re a Miraculous. Yours is the Ladybug one. Your partner will have the black cat one, which will grant him the powers of destruction and bad luck.

\- But why a superhero? Why me? I’m super clumsy and I always mess everything.

-You were chosen to wield this Miraculous for your qualities, courage, and selflessness. We felt another Miraculous awaken, one that we thought was lost for good, but he had a dark aura, which means whoever found it is up to no good.

\- A supervillain here in Paris?

\- It would seem so. The butterfly is the Miraculous of transmission and allows its user to grant people powers making them their champions by using butterflies that we call Akumas. You’ll need to break the object that contains the Akuma so the person loses all of its powers. You’ll also need to catch the butterfly once you’re done.

-That’s way too much information in one go! I need a break… I need to get some sleep…

-Oh okay, just put the earrings on before going to sleep. You’ll have to always keep them on you and never take them off.

\- Alright, Tikki, goodnight… Well, I don’t know if you sleep or not…"

I put the earrings on and they turn entirely black. I don’t think much of it before climbing the ladder to my bed and snuggling under the covers. Thoughts of red creatures, butterflies, and Adrien are the last things I remember before falling asleep.

** ADRIEN POV:  **

I’ve already done my homework. I guess that being homeschooled makes it so I’m a bit farter than my classmates, but it’s nice of learning other points of view other than Nathalie’s and Monique’s. I sit on the couch and turn on the TV. I wonder what Nino and Marinette are doing? Are they eating dinner with their families, or are they doing their homework? Maybe I could help them if they have trouble with some questions? Still, I’m stuck in this manor, so I should stop hoping for more freedom than what I already have. Father finally allowed me to go to public school, I shouldn’t ask for more now. I’d just be making him mad again.

A small box on the table catch my attention on the table. Is it a gift? Usually, Father asks Nathalie to deliver them to me directly and letters by fans are pretty much always thrown in the trash before I get them. I take it in my hand and open it. A bright flash of green light blinds me. When I reopen my eyes, a tiny chibi black cat is floating in front of me.

It turns its head and floats towards the TV remote. It grabs it and tries to bite it. Taken out of my astonishment, I plunge and try to grab it, but it fazes through my fingers and lands on the foot table. I try once again to catch it, but it goes to the arcades then near the couch. I slowly climb the climbing wall and once I’m high enough, I jump. I land on the couch beside the cat and finally catch it.

It opens its mouth to meowl… to talk? When he clearly sees that I don’t understand him, he gestures to the box. Inside lays a black ring. The creature nods when I ask him with signs if it wants me to put the ring on.

I guess a normal teenager wouldn’t trust a weird cat genie, but whatever. I slide the ring on my finger and it turns silver. Nothing too catastrophic could happen…

" _Now, can you hear me?_

_-Yes! But how? How can I hear you in my head?_

_\- Apparently, when our chosen wears our miraculous, we can communicate mentally. Usually, we wait for when you grow older and stronger, but I don’t care. I’m hungry!_

_\- Oh… What do you eat?_

_\- We’re in France, right? I love cheese and I want some camembert._

_\- Camembert? It stinks and it costs a lot!_

_\- Do you want to be a superhero, run across Paris, destroy anything you touch? Besides, I don’t think money is a problem for you._

_-Um, what? Yes…?_

_-Then give me camembert, I’m hungry!_ "

After sneaking into the kitchens to get some cheese for the cat genie and slipping back into my bedroom unnoticed, I sit on my bed to process what's happening better. I give him the smelly cheese and the black creature swallows it whole.

" _Why was I chosen if I can’t even get out of my house? I’d be a pretty useless hero if I’m stuck here…_

_\- That’s why no one has to know your secret and you’ll sneak out when you’ll need it._

_\- If I’m a hero, what would be my powers? Do I have to make a costume? I’m not really good at sewing…_

_\- My powers are destruction. When you say Cataclysm, you’ll be able to destroy anything you tough once before detransforming five minutes later._

_\- Okay… But the costume?_

_\- You just say Plagg, claws out! And you’ll transform and you’ll be able to use your power._

_\- What is Plagg?_

_\- I’m Plagg. I guess I didn’t tell you. Anyway, I’m tired, let’s go to sleep._ "

While I go change clothes for the night, Plagg makes himself comfortable on one of my pillows. I know I should be more stunned, surprised, or even scared, but I’m rather excited by the idea of being a superhero. I would have expected the power of destruction to be the power of a villain rather than a hero’s, but I’ll take it.

First day of public school, making new friends, meeting Plagg, it’s quite an eventful day. I fall asleep happier than I’ve been for a long time.

** MARINETTE POV: **

I’m a woman on a mission, or rather, a girl, but it doesn’t matter. I’m going to make sure Adrien doesn’t feel left out in our class. I’ll ask his interpret, the woman who was there in class with Miss Bustier yesterday, if she could teach us some sign language to communicate with Adrien.

I’m managed to wake up a little bit earlier than usual thanks to Tikki and I plan to make use of this time! Even Maman and Papa are surprised to see me awake this early, but once I explain to them my plan, they’re impressed.

"You’re such a sweet girl, my dear. Your classmates are lucky to have you in their class, so does that boy Adrien.

-Thanks, Maman! Adrien never really had any friends besides Chloe so I want to make him feel included in our class. He’s so nice, he deserves to have other friends."

Tikki giggled when I told her that and she insinuated that I cared more for him than a friend would. Maybe she’s right and I like him more than just a friend…

"You know, you would be a great class president, adds Dad.

\- As if I could beat Chloe? Everyone will vote for her as usual because she bullied them and anyone who dares oppose her.

\- I’m sure that you could be surprised if you try, answers Mom.

\- I’ll think about it, but now I have to get to school. Bye Maman, Bye Papa, love you!"

I peck them both on their cheeks before running out of the apartment and to school. I glimpse into my purse where Tikki is hidden and she gives me an encouraging smile when I stop on the steps to the entrance of the school. I walk up the stairs towards my class and nothing bad happened so far with no Chloe in sight.

Once I enter the room, Adrien is talking with Nino who’s showing him some music sheets of stuff he composed and remixed. His interpret is sitting on a chair reading a book. I approach her slowly, scared of being laughed at or rejected.

"Um… Excuse me miss; can I ask you something?

\- Of course! What is it?

Her smile encourages me to continue on. I don’t know why, but I expected a less enthusiastic answer.

\- Well, I was wondering if you could teach the class some sign language so we could speak with Adrien? But if you can’t, it’s no big deal! We could always follow online classes or something! I don’t want him to feel left out and I would like to include him as much as I can in our activities.

\- Oh, it’s very thoughtful of you, young girl! I’m sure Adrien would greatly appreciate it. Sadly, I can’t teach your class since we would get behind schedule and I have obligations for Mr. Agreste that I can’t get away from, but I’ll send you some websites where you and your classmates may learn. It’s not as hard as it looks, you should be fine by yourselves, but you are always welcome to come to me if you have any questions.

\- Thank you! And I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name yesterday.

\- Call me Monique, it’s my pleasure."

Happy with myself, I go sit in my spot next to Alya and behind Adrien. I see him talking with Monique while I greet Alya and explains to her and Nino what was my question. Nino offered to practice with me and Alya looked at me suspiciously since she didn’t know yet that he had apologized for yesterday. She’s on board when I tell her about some parts of the letter, but I keep the personal stuff to myself.

I hear some people arguing behind us and as I turn around Evan moves to punch Kim in the face just as Miss Bustier enters.

"Evan! To Mr. Damocles’ office, now!

\- But it’s Kim... he starts to answer.

\- Now! I won’t tolerate violence in this classroom."

He storms off with a ball of paper clutched in his hand.

** ADRIEN POV: **

Miss Bustier stands behind her desk and starts room call. Monique signs to me when it’s my turn and I raise my hand to show that I’m present. It feels good to be able to do like the others for once. I’m one of the firsts, thing that happens when your family name starts with an a. Though when you have a name like Agreste, people always make you go first and treat you differently. Sometimes, I wonder what it would have it been like If I was a Graham de Vanily instead, like my cousin Felix. While my teacher continues room call, I ask Monique what Marinette wanted. Maybe she said that she accepted my apology, or that she hates me.

_"She wanted to know if I could teach the class sign language so they could communicate with you and include you in their activities. She doesn’t want you to feel left out, she’s a sweet girl. Because of my obligations with your father, I can’t do it, but I’ll send her some links to online classes."_

She… She what? She wants to include me in their activities? Does that mean that she forgives me? Does she want to be my friend too? Why do I feel so warm suddenly and my cheeks are burning? I turn to her and I raise my right hand with the palm towards me and lower my arm to sign her thank you. She must have understood because she smiles warmly and eyes soft before turning her attention back to our teacher for the start of the class.

The warm feeling never fades and Plagg must have been watching because he starts talking to me.

" _Is she your girlfriend?_

_-What? No… She’s just… She’s just a friend. A friend._

_-Because you have that dopey smile and it’s so sweet, it makes me sick. I need camembert._

_-Later Plagg, class is about to start_."

We are interrupted by a huge rumble that I guess must have been accompanied by a crash or an explosion.

Everyone turns around panic on their faces. Our teacher tries to calm down everyone but it doesn’t seem to work. The red-haired girl sitting next to Marinette opens the door and checks outside, which Miss Bustier doesn’t seem to approve. She looks excited and starts to run in the hallway after saying something to her friend. The bluenette looks scared and goes to follow her friend. Our eyes meet and I hope she’ll stay careful; she doesn’t have a magic kwami to protect her.

I follow Monique to the car, but I tell her I forgot something in my locker before sprinting to the toilets to transform. It would have been nice to try my powers once before being thrown into action. I guess that the best way to learn is through practice.

I lock the cabin’s door behind me. Plagg is hovering in front of me with a smirk. I look at the silver ring on my finger and then at the kwami. I close my eyes and breathe slowly to calm myself. I may look calm, but excitation is clawing through my insides desperately trying to get through my mask.

"Plagg, claws out!"

Blinding green energy covers my body while the costume appears. Once the light disappears, I’m overwhelmed by odors. I exit the cabin to get some fresher air. People have no sense of respect for others, it’s disgusting. They have the aim of stormtroopers.

There’s still the same silence as always, but I can feel vibrations in the ground from what’s happening outside with more precision. I look in the mirror and I see that my eyes have become cat like. They’re still green, but the sclera is now a shade of green similar to my pupils shaped like cats, no longer round. My hair is messier than usual and two black ears stand on top. A mask also covers my face. A black skin tight suit with boots, a golden bell and a belt-tail that moves make the rest of my costume. My gloves have claws… Clawsome!

I open the window and jump outside to go save Paris.

** MARINETTE POV: **

Who ears an explosion and runs after it? What kind of sane person does that? Alya does apparently. I run after her to try to change her mind, but an unusual gust of wind catch my attention. At the end of the hall, a huge hole sits where Mr. Damocles’ office used to be. The terrified principal stands next to it and talks animatedly on the phone begging for the army to help. Classes door start to burst open, each freeing a flow a students panicking and running away, teachers unable to keep them calm.

Cars’ alarm starts blasting in the streets accompanied by screams and crashes. I see her red hair exiting the school by the doors before being followed by students. Great, I lost her. A voice harshly whispers my name, breaking me of my trance. Tikki’s gesturing to me with big eyes through a small opening of my purse. Oh right… I’m a superhero. Alya would be a better one, she’s already running towards danger, but I guess she may be a little too reckless.

I discreetly enter the girl’s restroom. Tikki pops out of my purse and floats in front of me.

"You can do it Marinette, I believe in you! I know you’ll be a great Ladybug.

\- Thanks, Tikki… I’m still not sure about all this, but I have to go save Alya.

\- Good! Your partner should be there to help you!

\- Okay… let’s go then… Tikki, spots on!"

Bright pink light covers my body replacing my clothes with a red skin tight suit with polka dots. Some kind of yoyo hangs on my hips. When I look in the mirror, I see that a mask with a similar design covers my face and that my hair is still tied in pigtails. Is it really supposed to hide my identity? I look the same…

A huge crash followed by an explosion take me out of my head. Right, I have a monster to beat, I can do this. I open the window and jump through it, landing on the pavement below. The ground is covered with cracks and holes, cars upside down, and windows broken. My hand brushes against the yoyo. Apparently, I’m supposed to be able to move around with it, a bit like superheroes Tikki said. So if I throw it like that, it latches onto a chimney, it’s supposed to pull me when I tug on…

"AHHHHHHH"

I’m flying over building towards a guy walking on a stick. Oh, no! I crash onto him and we both fall to the ground. My yoyo accidently wrap itself around us and the stick keeping us a few centimeters from the pavement. It loosens up a little and we drop. After massaging my butt that surprisingly hurts less than I thought, our super suits must absorb some damage, though my ego is pretty hurt. I tug on the rope to get my weapon back, but it lands on the boy’s head with the staff that seems to have shrunk.

" Aouch!

\- I’m so sorry, he stays silent so I continue, eum, what’s your name? I’m Ma… Madly clumsy, so clumsy…"

He points his ears and shakes his head. He can’t ear me? Oh, he must be deaf like Adrien. Ok, we’re in luck I want to learn sign language or it could have been problematic, though it doesn’t solve the problem now. Maybe he can read on my lips? I heard some people can. I start speaking slowly and make sure to articulate well. "Can you read on my lips?" He nods. "What is your name?" I curse myself for asking a question he can’t answer, or that I won’t understand, but he slowly answers "Chat Noir". His voice is a little rough, and he seems unsure of himself so I give him a thumbs up with a smile. He lightens up and his ears perk up a bit while his tail wags like a cat… or a dog, I don’t know. I have to admit that it’s cute. He points to me, meaning to ask for my name.

The ground shakes before I can add anything else and a very loud "Kim!" echoes in the streets followed by multiple crashes. Chat Noir looks at me with round eyes for a second before it morphs into determination. He jumps on the nearest building following the noise. Though, he seemed to have reacted more to the rumble of the ground than the sound, which is logic. Screams take me out of my head. Right, we have to defeat Evan. I throw my yoyo at a chimney again, and even if I was prepared, another scream escapes my throat as I’m thrown in the same direction my partner took.

**ADRIEN POV: **

I follow the vibrations, the flying cars, and the crumbling buildings to the stadium. A golem of sorts, a monster made of rocks is threatening to crush a boy wearing a red shirt. I jump and hit the evil pile of rocks with my staff. I fall back in front of him, next to the guy who runs away once the monster’s attention is no longer on him. Pale green light creates an aura around the golem and it grows nearly twice his initial size. I must have enraged him because he takes one of the goals and throws it toward me. I dodge it with relative ease, but I spot a girl with red hair in its trajectory. I throw my staff above her head and it extends, holding tight between two walls. The metal structure rebounds on it, leaving the girl safe from harm. She appears to be holding a phone, but I can’t waste time with that. Strong vibrations alert me of the monster’s approach. My partner nowhere in sight, I have no choice but to call for my power. Maybe I could destroy him, or slow him down if nothing else. "Cataclysm!" Black bubbles and energy seem to emanate from my right hand. I run towards the akuma with my hand ready, but he seems to have predicted my attack because he sends me flying with a punch. I hit another goal and my energized hand barely brush against the metal structure, but it must have been enough because it dissolved into black dust. Weaponless, super power wasted, I can’t stop wondering where my partner is.

** MARINETTE POV: **

What can I do? Chat Noir wasted his power on a goal, Alya is down there filming the whole thing without any concerns for her safety, Evan is even bigger than he was at school and I’m up there on the roof, totally useless. The monster starts walking toward my partner. Alya spots me and screams "What are you doing coccinelle girl, go help him!" It feels like a slap to the face, but I probably needed it. I close my eyes for a second, take a breath, and jump into the stadium. I can do this, they need me!

I throw my yoyo and it loops around the golem’s fist before tightening. I slide under him between his legs and pull on the rope to get him away from Chat. He gets free of my yoyo and starts running to me, even more enraged. I jump away from him and from the corner of my eye, I see my partner going to pick his staff next to Alya. Once he does, he runs next to me. He looks at me and his ring beeps, letting us know of the timer’s countdown that started. I guess I should call for my power too. "Lucky charm!" My yoyo starts spinning uncontrollably and releases pink light with magic sparks before a rubber costume drops in my hands. What am I supposed to do with that? Chat looks at me with surprise and his eyebrow raised, clearly asking what we’re supposed to do with it. I nearly trip on a water hose that goes next to Alya. Evan, or Stoneheart I think he called himself, rushes towards us again and I realize that he always kept one fist closed…. That’s it! I discreetly point the hose and the costume to Chat and then gesturing that we have to open his fist by mimicking it with my hand. I’m not sure if he understood everything, but he smiles at me and he seems to regain his confidence. He runs to our foe and purposefully gets caught without making it look like too much like a trap.

I jump to them soon after sticking the hose in the rubber costume, lucky charm in hand. As I needed, he opens his other fist to catch me, dropping whatever object her was holding. It’s highly uncomfortable being stuck between his fingers of rock. I spot Alya still next to the tap. Good, otherwise my plan would be ruined.

"Alya, the tap!"

She blinks and looks around her before finding it. The cold water soon starts filling out the costume, forcing Stoneheart’s hand open and freeing me. Once I land on the ground, I run to the akumatized object and break it under my feet. A small purple butterfly emerges from it and flutters away. The rock monster disappears, leaving my classmate in its place. I pick up the crumpled sheet of paper and starts reading it. Oh, Kim mocked him for not being able to tell Mylène who she feels.

Chat Noir comes up next to me, smiling brightly. We hold out our fists and bump them together. I tell him good job and I added a thumbs up for good measure. His ring beeps again signaling he has to leave before he detransforms. I wave him goodbye and he jumps away, still smiling and eyes sparkling.

I turn to Evan and Alya is crouched next to him and asking questions. She’s also still filming, which doesn’t really surprise me, though I would have liked if he could have kept his identity secret from the rest of Paris. I help him stand up with Alya.

"You know, Evan, you shouldn’t feel bad for having a hard time telling Mylène how you feel. Kim shouldn’t make fun of you, I tell him.

\- How do you know my name, he asks?"

Oh, shoot! I’m not supposed to know his name. As far as anyone knows, I’m supposed to be a random Parisian girl, which I am anyway. What could I say to cover my tracks? A beep from my earrings reminds me that I have to leave soon.

"Oh, um… It’s written on the sheet!

\- What’s your name, asks Alya, what do we call you?

\- Um, Ladybug… Yeah, Ladybug!

\- So cool!"

I throw my yoyo and leave before she asks any other question, better not drop my mask in front of her on my first day. That would be a disaster.

** ADRIEN POV: **

I slump in my bed exhausted but thrilled. I was a superhero! I didn’t get my partner’s name but she was pretty good. She didn’t seem to judge me because of my disability and I was able to help her. The scolding I got for disappearing was definitely worth it. I’d even say it was pawsitively one of the best days of my life! I turn on the tv to the news. Unsurprisingly, they’re talking about what happened today. Apparently, her name is Ladybug. It’s a pretty name…

" _Ugh, stop smiling, I’m going to throw up._

_\- Ew, I don’t want camembert on my sheets._

_\- You already got a girlfriend yesterday, and now another one?_

_-They’re not my girlfriends, they’re my friends!_ "

I look up to the screen people seem to be panicking for some reason. _Multiple people being transformed into stone monsters_. What? How? We destroyed the item!

" _Did Ladybug purify the butterfly? She doesn’t seem to have used her cure to fix everything…_

_\- Her what? Purify the akuma?_

_\- Akumas multiply when not purified, so the next time the guy is angry, he’ll turn into Stoneheart again and be in control of all the other monsters now immobile._

_\- Oh no…_

_\- Well, you screwed up, but you can fix it tomorrow, I’m tired!_

_\- It’s just barely 15h?_

_\- Yeah, so?"_

He plops on one of the pillows of my bed. He really acts like a cat. I turn on my videogame console to play some games before dinner since we didn’t get any homework yet and there’s no fencing lesson today, I could practice piano, but I’m not really in the mood. I guess we have to wait for my classmate to be reakumatized.

** MARINETTE POV: **

I was wrong. This is a disaster. I messed up somewhere like I told Tikki yesterday! How can there be even more stone monsters now? I destroyed the object and Evan returned to normal. If I had listened to her more carefully and hesitated less, all those innocent people wouldn’t be turned into statues. Did I do something wrong? Tikki nudges me to get my attention. Apparently, she’s been talking for a few minutes while I was stuck in my head.

"Did I what?

\- Marinette, did you purify the akuma? You catch it with your yoyo and it releases the white butterfly.

\- The butterfly? No… I totally forgot! This is a disaster Tikki!

\- It’s okay, you can still fix this! You just have to find the butterfly and capture it! Then you’ll use your cure by throwing the lucky charm into the sky and everything will return to normal. Buildings will be fixed and people who’ve been hurt will be healed.

\- No, I told you Tikki, I’m not cut out to be a hero, I only create catastrophes! You’d be better off with someone else. I’m sorry…

-No, don’t do…"

She never finishes her sentence. I try looking and calling for her but she’s nowhere to be found. So, she disappears once I take off both earrings? Someone else would do a better job than me, like Alya! She may have been a little reckless running to the danger like that, but she admires superheroes and she stood up to Chloe on her first day. She’d be a better Ladybug than me and a better partner to Chat Noir. I store the miraculous in their small black box and put it in an empty drawer. I sit on my computer chair and open up the links Adrien’s interpret sent me to online classes for LSF. I shared them with Nino and I text him to see if he’d like to video chat and practice together. He answers fifteen minutes later saying that he was babysitting his brother, but he’d like to practice with me. We start with the basics: greetings, goodbyes, and thanks. We have some fun trying to imitate the signs correctly and we slowly switch to remembering some fond and embarrassing stories of the previous years. I don’t know why we never talked before, though it was probably due to Chloe’s bullying.

I can’t say I slept really well, but talking with Nino and planning some activities we could do with Adrien was nice and helped me get my mind off the mess I caused yesterday. The box is stored in my purse, waiting to be discreetly slipped into Alya’s bag. Maman and Papa are watching the tv and even though they look scared, they say that they believe in the heroes to fix this. Papa even tries to reassure me by imitating a baker themed superhero with a baguette, Super Boulanger. It makes me smile, but I’m still convinced my new friend would be better than me at this job.

The walk to school only strengthens my resolve when I walk by one of the immobilized stone monsters. Police officers placed fences around them and are making sure no civilians get too close. I find Alya on the steps to the entrance and she shows me her phone which displays a blog page. The design is mostly reds and bright pinks and it has a similar appearance to a news site, but with a "younger" style. In the center, there’s a picture of Ladybug and Chat Noir fighting Stoneheart in the stadium.

"Marinette, I present you The Ladyblog! The first source of news on Paris’ new superheroes! I filmed the whole thing yesterday, Ladybug was awesome!

\- I don’t know, she still messed up and now there are all those monsters…

\- She’ll fix this, I know it!

\- Well… I think Chat Noir is a better hero than her…"

_He didn’t hesitate to go save Kim and face Stoneheart._

We hear some voices near a bench behind us and we turn to see a group of our classmates talking to Evan. We approach when Alya decides she would like to hear what he says and maybe ask a few questions. My mind wanders off to Chat, would he get along well with Alya? She doesn’t know sign language, though… Neither do I, but I already want to learn it anyway for Adrien… Would they be great partners? Probably, I don’t see why not and Alya didn’t cause any mess yet. Well, maybe except being nearly crushed under a goal that disarmed Chat. Okay, She may not be perfect, but she should do a better job than me.

** ADRIEN POV: **

I walk up the stairs after The Gorilla dropped me. I expected Chloe to jump on me, but she’s nowhere in sight, neither is Nino. He must be already in class listening to music. I should ask him what genra he likes and if I could listen to some of it with him. I spot Chloe and Sabrina near a group of students. The guy that was akumatized yesterday is sitting on a bench and they seem to be asking him questions. Chloe says something that must have hurt him because he runs away into the locker room, followed by Marinette. It’s really nice of her to make sure he’s okay, I’m not in a hurry to fight an army of stone monsters, one was enough.

" _Ugh, couldn’t she be a little less rude…_

_-Who? I thought you were sleeping._

_-Blonde girl_ _with those yellow clothes. And I was, she woke me up!_

_\- Chloe? What did she say?_

_\- Once a monster, always a monster or something like that, thought the real monster is the person who took me out of my wonderful dream filled with my gooey camembert… Now I’m hungry!_

_\- Wait until we’re in class._ "

I want to say that I can’t believe that she would say that, but after what she pulled off on our first day, I’m not so sure anymore. There’s still the possibility that Plagg misheard her or that it was someone else entirely. Only seventy-two hours ago, she was my only friend. Well, with Sabrina I guess, but she always acted more as a translator than a friend because Chloe never really learned sign language in all the years we’ve known each other. She did start to learn, but didn’t practice and said text messages worked just as well if not better. It always left a bitter taste in my mouth, but she was all that I got. Father didn’t let me hang out with other kids or people in general because he said the world was dangerous. Monique once said that he was just ashamed of my disability because I would always be imperfect in his eyes. I know she didn’t mean to tell me but she was pretty upset when he refused to let me go eat lunch with my pairs from fencing class after a big tournament. It hurts, but he’s been even more distant since mother disappeared that a part of me isn’t surprised to be disappointed by him anymore.

Nino is hunched on our desk, headphones on his head bouncing to the rhythm of the music he’s listening to. His eyes are closed so he didn’t notice me sit next to him. I use his distraction to give Plagg a piece of camembert in my bag. I hope I won’t find cheese melted in the fabric of it, that would be a nightmare to wash and explain. I gently poke my friend’s shoulder and he turns to me. His face brightens when he sees me and he takes off the headphones. His hand slightly over his head, he signs hello and I do the same. We chat a little and it’s really nice that we can talk without needing Monique. Our conversations are pretty simple, but he tells me he’ll follow classes with Marinette. I ask him if I could listen to the music he was listening to. He decides to send me links and playlists and to show me some of his mixes someday. The class slowly fills itself with students and Miss Bustier enters followed by my interpret after a short blond-haired girl with braids and multiple pins rushes in. We greet each other and our teacher begins role call. I say "Present" once Monique gestures me to and everything seems to be going fine.

I shouldn’t have thought that, I jinxed it.

The door flies off and hits the opposing wall. Stoneheart enters and slams a few desks before grabbing the small girl. Wasting no time, I make use of the panic reigning in the class to discreetly leave to go transform. I feel strong vibrations meaning he must have broken the wall and jumped outside. Plagg floats in front of me, grumpy to have been woken up once again. In my excitation to be a hero again and seeing Ladybug, I may be a little too loud, but whatever. "Plagg, claws out!"

I jump out the window and follow the bigger golem that’s carrying the blond girl and Chloe in each hand. Some of the other ones move toward him. I hit him in the back with my baton and he grows bigger again… I forgot about that. He looks at Chloe and soon after the street rumble under my feet. Multiple golems turn the corner, circling me. I twirl my staff around and hit them to push them off. Luckily for me, they don’t seem to grow. Stoneheart walks away and I’m left with his soldiers. We end up in a smaller street with cars parked on both sides. One of them picks one up and throws it at me. I easily dodge the metallic projectile but a mob of red hair catches my attention. Without really thinking, I throw my weapon to defend her like yesterday. The car bounces a little on the staff, but she’s still stuck under it. She should really learn to stay out of danger. Giant stone fingers crush me and pick me off the ground. My arms are stuck against my chest and I can only move my legs. I try to kick him, but I have no luck opening his grasp.

Something falls through the rocks and hits my head before rolling to my hands. It’s my staff! I tap the button and extending it, freeing me from Stoneheart’s pawn. I drop on the ground, but I quickly roll and jump away before taking time to breathe. Ladybug lands next to me smiling. She gestures me to follow her and jumps on a nearby rooftop.

Wait, why is she taking us away from them, we need to defeat them. She must have seen my frown because she points to the Eiffel tower. On the platform, Stoneheart stands and both girls are still prisoners. The mayor, Chloe’s father speaks through a microphone and police officers made a barricade stopping people from approaching. Well, maybe more to stop the monsters, but they’ve been proven pretty useless as of yet. The police officers tell something to Ladybug and she looks down. She tugs her arm and her shoulders slump. What did that dumb officer tell her? That we should have caught the butterfly yesterday? That we’re mess-ups? They’re wrong because, without us, the golem wouldn’t have been stopped in the first place. I gently place my hand on her shoulder and she looks up. She looks unsure of herself, we can’t have that, she was awesome yesterday, and I know she’ll be even pawsomer today. I smile brightly at her. "I believe in you." The words escape my mouth, but I believe them with my whole being. A voice in my head says I should hug her… It’s been so long since I had one, but I’d rather not upset her by being too touchy with someone I barely know… Air escapes my lungs as she circles her arms around me and lays her head on my shoulder. I slowly reciprocate the hug. I must say, it feels really nice. Warmth fills my body in a way that I almost forgot was possible. I shut Father’s voice in my head that I shouldn’t be weak and want hugs or affection. I should forget what his voice sounded like instead and focus on others who are there for me.

Someone must have said something because she breaks from my embrace and looks towards the tower. Stoneheart raises his arm holding Chloe and throws her. Before I can move a muscle, Ladybug is already in action and catches her. My friend scoffs and my partner lets her fall to the ground. The mayor runs to her and holds her as if she were going to break. I feel guilty she deserved a bit of what happened if she were rude to Evan, but I’m still scared that I could have lost her.

Stoneheart starts coughing and shaking and he falls on his back after a cloud of dark butterflies escape his body. The bugs form what looks like a head that starts speaking. His voice makes the ground shake but I still can’t know what he says, his "lips" are too jittery to decipher anything. Everyone looks to be cowering in fear while Ladybug is standing strong. She claps her hands before running and jumping in front of it. She thrusts her yoyo forward, catching the butterflies forming the head. She quickly catches them all and it vanishes in a small explosion. She lands on the platform where the golem previously stood. She smiles at me and gestures me to come to her. I quickly make my way next to her. Who knew that just going to school would allow me to meet extraordinary people like her and Marinette?

Ladybug takes my hand and continues to talk to the crowd beneath us. She opens her yoyo and swarms of white butterflies emerge and fly off in every direction. Once she’s done, she raises her right hand with the palm towards her and lowers it while looking at me in the eyes. It’s a thank you. Is she learning sign language? Is she doing it for me? But she did most of the work here, why thank me?

I feel the ground shake slightly behind me. Oh right, I forgot about the stone monsters. I gently turn Ladybug around so we can face him and defeat him for real this time. He stands up, the girl still prisoner of his hand. He screams something and what feels like an earthquake follows. I look down the fence and the other rock monsters have started climbing the tower. Once I turn around, I spot their leader’s feet tangling a little before he pushes himself up. They should be careful not to fall, they would hit rock bottom. She looks at me and points upwards before starting her climb to the top. Alright then, up we go.

We make it sometime before them, which allows my partner to use her power. According to Plagg, it’s called Lucky charm. A parachute emerges from the pink light before falling in her hands. A parachute? Her power doesn’t seem to be straightforward… She looks around for some clues or tips on how to defeat Stoneheart. Meanwhile, I use my staff to keep the stone golems at bay, though we’re quickly forced to climb higher. She waves her hands at me to catch my attention. She brings them closer and makes a kiss with her mouth then points to Stoneheart with the girl still in his hands. So, she wants to make them kiss? I’m not sure if it will work, but I trust her. He’s still on the side of the tower holding on the metal beams so we have to be careful. Their fall would be deadly, they’d hit rock bottom. She lassoes the golem’s hand holding the girl with his head and pull to bring them closer. Her lips touch his rocky ones, which was probably disgusting, and in his surprise, he drops both her and the akumatized object: another ball of paper. She latches on the tip of his rocky fingertips, but she won’t hold for long

I jump down the fence and I use my weapon like a baseball bat to send the object to my partner. She crushes it quickly, freeing the butterfly and returning Evan to his normal state. The girl is falling, eyes wide with horror. No more granted super strength, he falls soon after. I call my cataclysm on a beam to free another that would allow me to catch the boy while Ladybug takes care of the girl. While free-falling, she captures the butterfly in her yoyo, frees it a few seconds later, the purple now a soft white, catches her and opens the parachute, allowing them to land safely. I extend my staff up until it reaches the ground and I make us go down. A simpler, and down to earth, plan that worked well, though hers was more spectacular. The boy stands sheepishly next to me and keeps looking at his shoes. I slowly guide him to the girls and after a bit of talking, they’re hugging. She raises herself on her tiptoes and kisses his cheek. His cheeks turn a bright pink and she takes his hand.

Ladybug takes her lucky charm, the parachute, and throws it in the sky. It dissolves into waves of tiny ladybugs that spread across the city. Spiraling around crumbled buildings, people who’ve been hurt before returning to the sky and disappearing. It looked magical. It’s a relief she can fix everything afterward, though I wouldn’t test that cure’s limits. On the other hand, it also means that without her, there’s no way of purifying the akuma nor fixing everything. Between the two of us, she’s the one who has to make it to the end then…

I’m taken out of my head when a red gloved fist enters my field of vision. I quickly move aside to dodge it. I turn to counter but a stunned Ladybug is looking at me with wide eyes that morph. I relax my shoulders and smile at her before extending my fist to hers like yesterday. With only two pads left and needing to go back to school, I wave her goodbye and start making my way back to regular life.

I detransform once again in the bathroom and feed Plagg his gooey smelly treat. The school just like the rest of Paris has been fixed and students are starting to flow into their classes to finish the day. Some of them look terrorized, others ecstatic. Once back in my class, Nino is sitting at his desk and the red-haired girl that keeps getting in danger is pouting behind him. Marinette is still absent. Was she caught by a monster too? I didn’t see any other carrying prisoners other than the main one. Was she caught under a car or something? I would hate myself if my friend got hurt and I did nothing to help her.

A mob of black hair enters the room and rushes back the stairs. I don’t have time to release the breath I was holding that her feet misses a step and she plunges forward. In the blink of an eye, my arms are around her waist and holding tightly, though not too much I hope, and her back is against my chest. The whole class is looking at us and I suddenly feel very warm, especially on my face. I slowly let her free and she straightens and quickly sits in her spot. Her cheeks are bright red, nearly the same shade as Ladybug’s suit. Why am I comparing her to Ladybug? She signs me a quick thank you and I sit next to Nino. He’s looking at me suspiciously, though he’s smiling. He softly nudges me in the ribs with his elbow and wiggles his eyebrows and tilts his head towards Marinette. I’m not sure of what he means, I never really learned social cues, it’s probably to say that she’s lucky I caught her. I hope I didn’t embarrass her, she seems to be a good friend and I’d hate it if I ruined our friendship because I may have hugged her. Was it really a hug? I smile at him and turn to give Monique my full attention for the rest of the class, or what part of my brain that isn’t busy thinking of two blue-eyed girls.

** MARINETTE POV: **

What happened? Why did he catch me like that? He could simply have taken my arm or something? The entire class saw us. I’m so clumsy, I could have hurt him and then he’d hate me and would never want to talk to me again. Wait, why is he blushing? I feel warm, am I blushing too? Do I like him? Sure he’s nice, kind, shy, honest, and good-looking… Oh no. I think I may like him. Wait, I knew that from yesterday. But Chat Noir too was kind and cheered me up when I was unsure of myself. "I believe in you" still resonating in my head… Do I like him too? No. They’re just friends, or are they? Anyway, I don’t like them like that. It’s too complicated… If I like Adrien, I can’t like Chat Noir too… Urgh, feelings are so complicated.

Alya is looking at me with questions on the tip of her tongue, but she’ll have to wait for the lunch break. And Miss Bustier calls for our attention. Evan, Mylène, and Chloe are still taken care of by the police, but I hope they won’t be too traumatized. I may not like Chloe, but she doesn’t deserve to be traumatized. Okay, maybe a little.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know some people love Chloe and will come to say that she would have learned LSF for Adrien, but she has been shown in the show to be lazy. She still cares for him, but I see it more in a way that she doesn't realize how important it would be to him. I plan for her to grow maybe eventually, but since her growth happens in season two and I'm only planning to do season one, I'll see.
> 
> This chapter was a lot like the episode (which was kinda boring to write sometimes). I'm not planning the rest to just be small differences. There will be two or three original akumas, with some that are canon, though the reasons why they get akumatized and the fights will be different.
> 
> Next chapter: Bubbles for your birthday

**Author's Note:**

> As of yet, I have around twelve chapters planned, going from Origins to the Collector, though I'll probably add some chapters. The next chapter should be Superheroing and introduce Tikki, Plagg and our heroes.


End file.
